Mission #39 - Messina, Sicily. August 6, 1943.
Our target today is a highway bridge. Our bomb load is twelve 500’s.
I flew with Capt. Kutschera in “Baby”, today. This is my first mission as our Squadron Bombardier (in the lead plane). It is more tricky and difficult for the bombardier (and pilot), when either of you fly with a different pilot, or bombardier.
The reason is that there is so much required coordination between the two of you, on the bomb run. The pilot has to trim the plane to fly practically “hands off” - maintain a constant altitude, and indicated air speed. The reason is that the bombardier has to account for these conditions when he “sets up” the Norden bombsight, prior to the actual bomb run. These data also affect the performance of the automatic pilot on the bomb run. So, no matter how skilled the bombardier is in setting up for the bombing, he needs a level platform with a constant air speed (which affects the ground speed.) It is very critical for the bombardier to communicate effectively with the pilot over the inter-com during this special time. The bombardier, in turn, has to keep the pilot informed of what he is doing - especially when the pilot should engage the “automatic pilot.” For, from now, on until it is disengaged, the auto-pilot is flying the airplane. The bombardier has to tell the pilot “bombs away” immediately, as the pilot has to disengage the auto pilot - after the bomb run and fly the plane manually. (The pilot knows this anyway, because there is a sudden lift of the plane, when the gross weight is suddenly reduced by 6,000 pounds!) This evasive action is very important in reacting to the flak and any fighters in the target area.
On to Mission #39: On the bomb run, we flew at 24,000 feet and 150 knots indicated air speed (IAS). Our bombing was good. The flak was moderate to heavy, and accurate. We received seven holes in the ship. I didn’t see any fighters.
I had a good view of our convoy going to Sicily. (We invaded that island on July 19, 1943.). I also had a good view of the Sicilian cities, Marsala and Palermo.
Mission Time 04:30. T.B.W.T.D. - 184,240#.
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Hi Ray,
I read your Messina Mission with great interest.
One of my favorite movies was 'Patton'. Maybe yours, too? Your mission supported General Patton's relentless push for Messina.
Here's an excerpt highlighting August 6:
"As the final phase of the Sicily Campaign heated up, Patton drove his officers to push as hard as they could. Troina fell on August 6. To the south, British forces captured Adrano and--finally--Catania. Fighting a brilliant rearguard action, German army units crept back from their narrowing front toward the beaches of the Straits of Messina. There, German and Italian ships waited to ferry troops and equipment across the two-mile passage to the Italian mainland."
There a fewer Americans, Europeans et al, today that know the great love for freedom that you felt during the summer of '43...
We would all be speaking German or Japanese today without you -"America's greatest generation".
Bill Parr
500 Years of Parr Family Genealogy: Andrews-Arthur-Atwood-Baber-Beaty-Bibb-Brady-Brinson-Burt-Carter-Case-Clardy-Corwin-Curreri-Crow-Daniel-Day-Delamater-Farris-Gotkin-Guinn-Graves-Griffin-Hall-Hafner-Haywood-Horn-Hood-Houser-Howard-James-Jennings-Jones-Key-Kimball-Kimbrell-Knickerbocker-Koonce-Landrum-Leatherman-Leonard-LeFevre-Lewis-Manning-McCasland-McQueary-Mitchell-Moore-Moss-Nicholson-Parr-Pendleton-Pfost-Purser-Shaw-Shepherd-Smith-Pinnick-Pierce-Tucker-VanArsdal-VanMeter-Waldron-Watson-Webber
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